This invention relates to an electronic kettle that records, and manages statistical information about a multiplicity of contributors and donation kettle system for easily gathering statistical information for a charitable organization from a plurality of remote locations, and the like.
Donation kettles are commonly located at or near shopping centers, stores, and the like. Generally, the presence of donation kettles increases near a holiday season. Donation kettles are generally attached to stands. Stands are made of steel, iron, bronze, and other metals and used to support a donation kettle at a height that accommodates the making of a cash or coin donation. Stands frequently have a sign located on the top of the stand to indicate the charitable organization is requesting a donation.
A contributor visits a donation kettle commonly to make a donation to a charitable organization. A contributor drops a donation into the donation kettle. A donation is most often in the form of cash or coin.
A primary problem exists with respect to tha ability to secure and immediately record statistical information about a plurality of successive contributors. Consequently, there exists a need for a method, electronic terminal, and method of immediately recording statistical information concerning a plurality of successive contributors, including, by way of example, the identity of successive contributors, average contribution amounts made by a pluralityof successive contributors, and real time tallies of contributions.
Moreover, another shortcoming of making a donation at a donation kettle or a plurality of donation kettles is that there is no integration of information associated with a plurality of individual donations. Consequently, there exists a need for a donation kettle network that integrates a plurality of individual donations made at a donation kettle at varying times and/or remote locations.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an electronic kettle which allows a plurality of successive contributors to enter information about themelves thereon, immediately records the information, automatically tallies the statistical information and/or associates information from an information bearing card of the successive contributors to databases of charitable organizations including identities of contributors, and contribution amounts.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a donation kettle network that can collect, integrate, and display information associated with successive individual donations and provide useful quantitative data.